Exhibition: 'Diction Deco'

art:i:curate’s Myrto Katsimicha visits State of Concept in Athens and gives her impressions on its inaugural exhibition, 'Diction Deco'.

State of Concept is the first Greek non – profit Gallery founded in 2013 by art critic and curator Iliana Fokianaki. It opened its doors on the 20th of March with the solo exhibition “Diction Deco” featuring works by Greek artist Aliki Panagiotopoulou.

The exhibition investigates the universal themes of language and form, an ideal further reinforced by the title itself where ‘diction’ refers to the choice and use of words or signs - if seen under the linguistic theory - for the production of meaning and ‘deco’ signifies a design or style. As an attempt to explore the ways by which meaning is constructed the link between language and form is proposed and set by the artist through a series of works with a primordial aesthetic.

The omnipresent use of archaic symbols brings together while at the same time juxtaposes text and geometric forms into objects characterised by their straight lines and clean cut. This choice exemplifies the symbolistic nature of works such as ‘Vertical hanger’ (2013) where the use of mahogany wood allows for a fetishistic dimension to emerge.

By employing simple materials such as clay, linen, paper and wood in warm colours the artist manages to establish a sense of domesticity, further enhanced by the mosaic floor of the space, that enables the viewer to reflect upon and extract his own personal meanings in relation to the everyday objects and spatial elements depicted in works such as ‘Scape’ (2014) or ‘Diction Deco’ (2014).

Starting with a word play the exhibition can be seen as an alternative proposal to the cultural and individual crisis we are confronting. If we come to terms with the raw materials used by human activity and identify the universal symbols to which we still attribute meaning in the contemporary, we will be able to invent a new “dictionary” of life style that recognises the true ethical values which we lack today.

The curatorial line adopted by State of Concept seems to remain loyal to the artists’ core practice. With an artistic program focused on solo shows that are not driven by a commercial logic State of Concept will hopefully be considered an added value to the contemporary art scene in Athens by introducing to the public the practice and interests of Greek and international artists in a more systematic way.

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